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Chef Carlo Cracco: "Milan Is A 'Wrong' Veal Cutlet"

An interview with the Italian chef at Cracco restaurant, in Milan, about regional culinary tradition and local ingredients

By FDL
on July 28, 2012

Carlo Cracco is chef at the 2-Michelin starred Cracco restaurant in Milan, just few steps far from the Duomo.

Fine Dining Lovers interviewed him to better understand which is the relationship between the territory, local ingredients and culinary tradition.

How does territory influence your style of cuisine?
Regional products are crucial in the making of new dishes and finding new inspiration. They enhance the gastronomic and cultural legacy that every Italian region enjoys.

What local ingredient could you not live without, and why?
Veal marrow. Traditionally it’s used as a condiment for risotto, instead of butter, but we consider it an ingredient in its own right. An example? Dishes like “Marrow, Fava Beans and Chocolate”, or “Babà in Meat and Marrow Sauce”, or “Mushroom and Marrow Salad”.

Using the recipe you’re sharing with out readers as an example, La Milano Sbagliata, how have you combined tradition and innovation in this dish?
The Milanese cutlet is one of the most popular dishes in Milan, and the whole of Lombardy, even though it’s often poorly executed: the bread crumbs fall of the meat, which is often cooked many hours before and then reheated when ordered. So we thought, ironically, that we would make it “sbagliata”, or wrong, on purpose. This time we serve the breading apart from the meat, which this time is raw – made from young, Piedmont veal – and a bit of lemon peel.

Which of your recipes best expresses your connection with the territory, and why?
The “musetto”, which is a pig's snout. It’s one of the ingredients used in cassoeula, a typical Milanese dish. We use it to make an antipasto with scampi and green tomatoes. It’s a very contemporary dish that refers to tradition and territory.

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